Northhampton Salvation Army assistance programs.

One of the main resources available in the Northhampton County region is the Salvation Army and their social service program. Case managers will try to offer assistance to deal with financial hardships and any social and spiritual issues that people may be faced with. The non-profit organization does it best to solve a number of community needs. Volunteers and staff from the agency work collaboratively with others in addressing those emergency and basic needs.

Providing food and fighting hunger has been and is always a high priority. In a country of plenty the Salvation Army will work with other charities and non-profits in Northhampton and across Pennsylvania to ensure that children, seniors and others get the healthy food that they need. Unfortunately there are thousands of families and individuals in the area who are suffering from hunger each and every month.

The agency will operate pantries, soup kitchens, and holiday meals programs. The various centers can distribute free food packages, canned goods and warm meals to individuals and families in need of help. However the Salvation Army will struggle to meet this need on their own so the support of donations and volunteers is always needed. To learn more or apply for help call the following. In Allentown dial 610.432.0129. Bethlehem residents should call 610.867.4681. In Easton dial 610.258.9531 or Pen Argyl families can call 610.863.6677.

Emergency and Disaster Response Programs can help residents who are impacted by man-made or natural disasters. The staff and volunteers from the Salvation Army can offer practical support and compassion to those in real and sudden need of assistance in a crisis. This can include food, water, vouchers for motels, and tremendous amounts of understanding.

While there is not a huge number of homeless in Northhampton County, the Salvation Army does operate and have information on shelters and transitional housing units. These services are usually under higher demand during the cold Pennsylvania winter months. However the organization will err on taking a pro-active approach to addressing homelessness. They do this from offering prevention services, which can include emergency rental assistance or funds for energy bills. People are more likely to qualify for aid if the agency has funding and if the applicant has some form of income coming in. Or work with case managers in an effort to find more permanent housing units or apartments.

Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas assistance is available from a number of resources. Some of the programs are the Adopt a Family as well as Angel Tree. These can offer free gifts, food baskets, toys and household goods to those who need help. The Salvation Army will place the Angel trees in local malls, post offices and other public places and they rely on people from the community to donate to the programs. Hundreds of local children benefit from these resources every year. Special holiday meal programs are available as well.

Additional emergency assistance may be available based on your need and funding. For example some people may need a medication for a life threatening condition and their insurance doesn’t pay for it. So maybe the Salvation Army will have a voucher. Other individuals may need gasoline for a job interview or medical appointment in Northhampton. Another focus is on children and people who are most at risk without support, such as the elderly. These individuals may receive emergency financial support from the agency. Any grants or funds paid out will usually require the applicant to attend case management services, explore job opportunities and take other pro-active self-sufficieny steps.